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England is still here!!!!

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 5:44 pm
by the_limey
Feeling in a somewhat patriotic mood this evening, I decided to change my GB avatar from the saucy young lady dressed in (albeit very few) lime-coloured clothes to a flag of my beloved England. So into the Yahoo! search engine I duly typed "england flag", and what came up? The Union bloody Jack!!! Thousands of the things.

This compounds an already grievous slight I sufferd this morning whilst watching Futurama of all things. During an episode in which Bender becomes an actor, the loquacious booze fiend asks whether his character should have a "British" accent- there's no such bloody thing!!!

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not anti-British I am pleased to be part of the wider world- both Great Britain and the United Kingdom (though less so to be part of the E.U.)- that does not mean I will put up with this glorious nation being swallowed beaneath a quagmire of inconsequentiality (: confused: ).

So, to all my international friends out there, please, please, PLEASE don't forget about little old England.

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 5:54 pm
by Ravager
There's no English accent either though.... :p

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 5:59 pm
by fable
[QUOTE=the_limey]So, to all my international friends out there, please, please, PLEASE don't forget about little old England.[/QUOTE]

So you're suggesting that we all walk outside during a heavy rain and eat blood pudding? :eek:

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 5:59 pm
by the_limey
[QUOTE=Ravager]There's no English accent either though.... [/QUOTE]

Technically no. And by the same logic there's no French, German or American accents either. However, at least these accents apply to a country- Britain is not a country is an alliance of countries. Further, what many consider to be a British acent is in fact an "Americanised" English toff's accent.

Further still, I was slightly miffed when I wrote that- logic was somewhat lost beneath the red mists...

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:01 pm
by Ravager
[QUOTE=the_limey]Further, what many consider to be a British acent is in fact an "Americanised" English toff's accent.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, that and the ruined Queen's English accent.

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:02 pm
by the_limey
[QUOTE=fable]So you're suggesting that we all walk outside during a heavy rain and eat blood pudding? :eek: [/QUOTE]

Certainly not- vile stuff.

But you could moan about Tony Blair and still vote for him.

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:36 pm
by fable
[QUOTE=the_limey]Certainly not- vile stuff.

But you could moan about Tony Blair and still vote for him.[/QUOTE]

I'll give you that. I've never voted in the US, because there are only two parties (any states I've resided in, at any rate), and neither one has any intelligent ideas to offer on just about any subject. You still have some reasonable discourse over there, plus three main political parties. And high comedy, in the form of the House of Lords.

Plus Blair may be a self-righteous nuisance, but he doesn't begin to compare to Hopalong Dubya and his gang.

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:40 pm
by dj_venom
Well our prime minister plays a game called 'see how much I can make people hate me, but still win votes'. So far we've had the GST (we'll kick him out for sure they said), then we got the war in Iraq (the Australian people will not stand for this) and now we've had workplace reforms (it's downright unaustralian). Then we've got a bunch of stuff going on about him breaking a promise (what's that you say, a politician wouldn't do that?) to someone in the party when 12 years ago he promised to give him leadership after 2 terms, this was before they even had office.

So we're fantastic about moaning about leaders, but voting them in. Oh, and we had a sporting event the other night (State of Origin) in which Johhny (our PM) appeared. A huge boo went up from the stadium as he went up to speak. :laugh: Great stuff!

And in fact, we are forgetting about England. Sorry, but your royalty is boring and old, we somehow got an Aussie into the Danish royal family, so they're now our favourite royals :p .

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 8:10 pm
by TonyMontana1638
[QUOTE=fable]I'll give you that. I've never voted in the US, because there are only two parties (any states I've resided in, at any rate), and neither one has any intelligent ideas to offer on just about any subject. You still have some reasonable discourse over there, plus three main political parties. And high comedy, in the form of the House of Lords.[/QUOTE]
Doesn't vote, hasn't watched tv in twenty years... Fable, what do you do?

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 8:31 pm
by dj_venom
Didn't you read what he wrote in the car thread?
[QUOTE=Fable]Probably my priestly robes used when I'm with a group of decorous pagans who are horrified at the idea of standing nude around a cauldron. But since I'm not hanging around any of these queasy stomached book Wiccans any longer, the robes aren't any longer in the car.[/QUOTE]

So please, let's not ask what he does, for the sake of at least some of our poor imagination. :p

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:00 pm
by C Elegans
Well, I see you found your St George eventually.
the_limey wrote:So, to all my international friends out there, please, please, PLEASE don't forget about little old England.
How could I even if I wanted to? :D
On the last day of my recent hiking trip, a guy at the hostel approached me with a cup of tea in his hand, smiling and saying "Ahhh, there is nothing better than a cup of tea! Whatever problems you may have, it always feels better with a cup of tea." I replied "Well, I am drinking coffee" and he said "Coffee? Nah, that's far too strong. Tea you can drink 20 cups a day and feel fine, but coffee, I start to feel nauseus after just 5". I said "You're English, I suppose?" and the guy replied "Yes, how did you know?"

:D
Further, what many consider to be a British acent is in fact an "Americanised" English toff's accent.
I consider Glasweigan, Aberdonian and Shetlandic very British accents. My friend from Liverpool who says "soomethink" and "noothink" I am not sure about though, I am inclining towards some type of pidgin.

A recent survey showed that business people believe Scouse, Brummie, Cockney, Geordie and West Country accent is associated with business failure.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/4566028.stm

To this, somebody had commented:
"Geordie? Not surprised. How can you sell anything if nobody knows what you're saying?"

:D

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:29 pm
by fable
[QUOTE=dj_venom]So please, let's not ask what he does, for the sake of at least some of our poor imagination. :p [/QUOTE]

Er, DJ, wrong thread. ;)

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:33 pm
by fable
[QUOTE=TonyMontana1638]Doesn't vote, hasn't watched tv in twenty years... Fable, what do you do?[/QUOTE]

I read, write (which is also my job), listen to plenty of music (which is part of my job), take walks, make love, travel the Web, meditate, go on short and long trips, cook, exercise, listen to international radio stations, and very occasionally play a game. Oh, and moderate. I keep busy. :)

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:46 pm
by Phreddie
England? What? Where? :p
I was in England a few weeks, ago, and about the accents, I have to agree, while there is one sound which many people will call THE English accent, no to people in England that Ir an into sounded like enough to pin point an exact accent. Sure there are certain charachteristics in common between some people and others, but there are not enough constant common qualities to account for an entire accent.

[QUOTE=fable]I read, write (which is also my job), listen to plenty of music (which is part of my job)[/QUOTE]

Articles, Books? Im out of reading material, tell me what you write, I would lioke to take a closer look intot he mind behind the babylonian legend.

[QUOTE=fable]...make love... I keep busy. :) [/QUOTE]
Coulda left this part out...

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 10:13 pm
by shana
[QUOTE=TonyMontana1638]Doesn't vote, hasn't watched tv in twenty years... Fable, what do you do?[/QUOTE]

He also stands naked around cauldrons!! Very risky venture there! :D

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 10:18 pm
by fable
Phreddie wrote:Articles, Books? Im out of reading material, tell me what you write, I would lioke to take a closer look intot he mind behind the babylonian legend.
Published articles, reviews, features, a column. Some unpublished fiction, as well.
Coulda left this part out...
Hey, there may be snow on the rooftop, but there's a fire burning, below. :D

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 2:02 am
by dj_venom
[QUOTE=fable]Hey, there may be snow on the rooftop, but there's a fire burning, below. :D [/QUOTE]

Yes Fable, we've established that your parts seem to hang perilously close to a fire, on top of which is the cauldron. No idea why there is snow on your head though. :p

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 4:53 am
by Damuna_Nova
[QUOTE=Phreddie]England? What? Where? :p
I was in England a few weeks, ago,[/QUOTE]

I've just remembered that you forgot to visit me! :p ;)

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:49 am
by Ravager
[QUOTE=Damuna_Nova]I've just remembered that you forgot to visit me! :p ;) [/QUOTE]
He didn't even visit me! :p

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:50 am
by fable
[QUOTE=dj_venom]Yes Fable, we've established that your parts seem to hang perilously close to a fire,[/quote]

I'm afraid you're thinking of your own encounter with that 15-year-old in Portsmouth. Don't worry, only the GameBanshee membership knows, and we won't tell. Of course.